West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy
June 2013 to April 2014
Client: Riverview Projects (ACT) and the Land Development Agency
Contact: Roz Chivers [email protected] [Elton Contact Phone]
Canberra
02 6169 4112
Suite 10
11 Mackay Gardens
George Turner House
Canberra ACT 2600
www.elton.com.au [email protected] Sydney | Canberra | Darwin ABN 56 003 853 101
Prepared by Emily Pow
Reviewed by Oliver Young, Roz Chivers, Alex Gold and Krista Murphy
Date 14 May 2014
Document name West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy
Version 4
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 3
1 OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 4
2 A NEW COMMUNITY AT WEST BELCONNEN 5
2.1 The vision for West Belconnen 6
2.2 Planning for a new community 8
3 REACHING OUT AND GETTING INVOLVED 9
3.1 Why engage? 9
3.2 Our approach – engaging early 9
3.3 Our engagement philosophy 10
3.4 Consultation objectives 11
4 WHO ARE WE ENGAGING? 12
4.1 Stakeholder analysis 12
5 HOW ARE WE ENGAGING? 15
5.1 Tools and techniques 15
6 ACTION PLAN 17
6.1 Next Steps 21
7 EVALUATION AND REVIEW 22
7.1 Evaluation overview 22
7.1.1 Evaluation audience 22
7.1.2 Evaluation Program 23
7.1.3 Evaluation working group 25
7.1.4 Key evaluation questions 25
7.2 Evaluation timeline 27
APPENDICES
A Social media strategy 29
Contents
4 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
The West Belconnen project team, comprising the ACT Land Development Agency (LDA),
Riverview Projects (ACT)1 (Riverview) and their consultants, is committed to stakeholder and
community engagement that is both meaningful and inclusive.
Our approach to engagement is guided by the internationally recognised International Association
of Public Participation (IAP2) engagement spectrum and the ACT Government’s commitment to
principles of transparency, participation and public collaboration outlined in Engaging Canberrans –
a guide to community engagement.
The West Belconnen project team recognise the complexity and regional significance of this
project. Stakeholder and community engagement will occur in both NSW and the ACT, in an effort
to obtain a range of perspectives that are both local and regional.
Our approach to engagement on this project is guided by seven core values:
» Involve a broad range of stakeholders and the community by utilising a diverse range of
engagement activities
» Promote the West Belconnen project and the consultation process in a number of different
ways to ensure those affected or interested in the project can get involved
» Create engagement opportunities that enable people to provide feedback and produce
meaningful data that can feed directly into the planning process
» Engage early in the planning process and provide opportunities for people to participate before
plans have been approved and final decisions are made
» Design an engagement process that wraps around key project milestones by:
> Working with the urban design team to make engagement an active part of the design
process
> Integration of engagement with the community and sustainability planning processes,
including the various categories of the Green Star – Communities PILOT rating tool
> Creating a ‘cumulative’ process where the key ‘building blocks’ of the planning strategy
(vision, design principles, scenarios and the preferred options) are developed with input
from key stakeholders
> Provide feedback to stakeholders and the community to demonstrate how their input has
been used
> Assess and evaluate the engagement processes to ensure the best possible outcome for
West Belconnen is achieved.
1 Previously the Riverview Group
1 Our commitment to community engagement
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 5
The population in the ACT and wider region continues to grow. The need for affordable and
diverse housing options is a challenge faced by the ACT and NSW Governments.
In June 2013, the ACT Government announced an agreement with Riverview, a locally owned land
development company, to facilitate the planning and development of around 4,500 homes in West
Belconnen.
Consultation undertaken prior to and since the announcement has found the concurrent rezoning
of Parkwood land - the ACT land generally east of Parkwood Road (including the Parkwood eggs
site) and the adjoining NSW land is logical and timely (see map below). The adjoining NSW land is
landlocked by the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek.
Figure 1 the West Belconnen Study Site
Riverview is the project manager for the planning of West Belconnen, acting on behalf of the ACT
Government with respect to the ACT land, and on behalf of the developer for part of the NSW side.
Riverview has assembled a team of experts to work closely with the ACT and NSW Governments
and Yass Shire Council to undertake the detailed planning investigations and technical studies for
the proposed new community.
2 A new community at West Belconnen
This Communication and Engagement Strategy has been developed to assist the LDA and
Riverview to inform and engage stakeholders and the community about the West Belconnen
project.
The Strategy provides a guide to engaging with stakeholders and the community including the
approach to communications and consultation. It outlines a range of tools and techniques that
will be used throughout the planning process as well as an implementation plan and evaluation
framework.
6 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
2.1 The vision for West Belconnen
The vision for West Belconnen is to create a sustainable community of international significance in
the Nation’s capital.
To achieve the vision for West Belconnen the project team is challenging conventional industry thinking by employing practices, processes and systems that embody innovation and design excellence.
The West Belconnen project will:
» Be sustainable over time, socially, economically and ecologically, with a low and reducing
ecological footprint
» Respond to the local and global environment
» Provide for future beneficial change to occur in design, infrastructure and regulatory
mechanisms
» Be cost effective, replicable and measurable
» Act as a new model that others can follow.
The outcomes we are hoping to achieve are:
Recognition as a world class sustainable community
The West Belconnen project aims to create a world class sustainable community and to be
recognised under the Green Star – Communities PILOT rating tool. This rating tool will help ensure
the project meets international benchmarks for sustainability and exemplifies world’s best practice
in design, construction and long-term liveability. As a model of sustainable community living, West
Belconnen will be a community that can be showcased throughout Australia and internationally.
Meeting housing demand
West Belconnen has the potential to deliver around 6,500 new dwellings in the ACT, and 5,000
new dwellings in NSW, accommodating a total of 30,000 people over the next 30 years. This
project will help to address housing demand, offering a mix of housing options for individuals and
families at affordable prices. 2
Building affordable and diverse housing
The West Belconnen project is committed to exploring innovative solutions to address housing
affordability problems. The inclusion of affordable housing in the West Belconnen vision recognises
that sustainability means more than caring for the natural environment. Affordable and diverse
housing contributes to sustainable communities.
The ACT Government, as part of its Affordable Housing Action Plan has a target requiring
developers to provide at least 20% of blocks in new residential estates as affordable. There is
potential at West Belconnen to exceed the 20% affordability target while at the same time
introducing a greater variety of housing alternatives than are currently available in Canberra.
Creating an integrated community
During the early stages of the project, new residents at West Belconnen would use facilities in
existing suburbs, such as schools, shops and professional services. This will help to revitalise
existing shopping centres such as Kippax and Charnwood. The master planning stage for West
2 These figures have been updated following the outcomes of technical studies and the planning and design
forum. They are potential yield based on the draft master plan. Disclaimer: The development parameters
(dwelling numbers, stages etc.) referred to in this strategy may vary over time. The figures contained herein
are estimates; they represent a good approximation of likely development outcomes to a sufficient level of
accuracy for the purposes of this report.
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 7
Belconnen will include a planning review of the Kippax Group Centre to look at how this centre can
accommodate increased demand for these services.
Over time, additional services and facilities would also be provided in West Belconnen, benefitting
residents in surrounding areas. West Belconnen will be an inclusive community integrated with its
neighbours.
Protecting the environment
The project will respect and respond to the local environment, including protecting and rehabilitating the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek corridors and wildlife habitats.
8 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
West Belconnen’s unique planning process
Rezoning of land for the
project falls into three
jurisdictions with separate
rezoning’s required in the
ACT and NSW in addition to
an amendment to the
National Capital Plan.
Approvals are also required
under the Commonwealth’s
Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999.
2.2 Planning for a new community
The proposed rezoning of the West Belconnen site will involve
changes to the planning controls that currently apply over the site,
on both sides of the border. This means a change to the types of
development permissible.
A draft master plan and an Environmental Impact Assessment or its
equivalent depending upon the jurisdiction and will be prepared as
part of the planning process. The master plan will guide the layout
and parameters of development on the site taking into consideration
conservation areas, open space and infrastructure such as roads and
drainage.
In the initial stages of the project, the project team will work with
the relevant planning authorities to discuss the procedures
associated with rezoning the site. These authorities are:
> ACT Planning Authority
> National Capital Authority
> NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure
> Yass Valley Council
> Commonwealth Department of the Environment.
If approved, amendments will be made to the National Capital Plan, the Territory Plan and the
Yass Valley Planning Scheme to enable the project to proceed. These amendments are separate
formal processes and will require community consultation.
Pending the outcomes of the planning process, construction could commence for stage 1 in the
ACT in late 2015, with the first residents moving in in early 2016. It is anticipated that it will be
approximately 10 years before the development crosses the ACT-NSW Border.
As part of the planning process and demonstrating our commitment to engagement, we will be
working closely with stakeholders and members of the local community. Our consultation process
will be designed around key planning milestones and provide opportunities for the community and
stakeholders to have their say on the project.
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 9
3.1 Why engage?
The West Belconnen planning investigation area is located in the north west of the ACT with the
northern section of land located in Yass Valley NSW. This northern peninsula is bounded by the
Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creeks and can only be accessed via the ACT.
The West Belconnen planning investigation area is surrounded by a number of established ACT
communities such as Holt and Macgregor and on the NSW side rural parts of Yass Valley Shire.
Residents living in these areas will have a direct interest in the future of West Belconnen. This
project will bring significant change to these communities, and we are committed to working with
stakeholders and these neighbouring communities to shape a future for West Belconnen.
Community members and stakeholders will have the opportunity to contribute to the development
of the vision for West Belconnen and be involved in the master planning process and later rezoning
process.
The engagement process aims to find out what is important to the future residents and neighbours of the development.
3.2 Our approach – engaging early
A key element in getting planning right for West Belconnen is to engage with the community right
from the start. Riverview has been consulting with stakeholders since 2007. As we move into the
master planning phase of the project, we want to continue these conversations and expand them
to the wider community to ensure that we include the views of as many people and groups as
possible.
We have based our approach upon best practice and widely recognised principles designed to
foster clear communication channels and engagement with stakeholders and the community. This
includes the consultation guidelines of the ACT Government’s Engaging Canberrans – a guide to
community engagement, the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure’s Major Projects’
requirements and the Green Star community engagement criteria. All three are guided by the
principles and values of the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2).
A widely used tool for considering the appropriate engagement approach for a particular project is
IAP2’s Public Participation Spectrum, an internationally recognised standard for approaches to
engagement. The spectrum was designed by IAP2 to assist with selecting the level of participation
that defines the role of the community and stakeholders in the engagement process.
For this project we will use the Inform, Consult and Involve aspects of the spectrum through
different phases.
3 Reaching out and getting involved
10 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
3.3 Our engagement philosophy
LDA and Riverview recognise that community and stakeholder engagement must be conducted in a
clear, transparent manner that provides all participants with a realistic understanding of what
engagement means. Part of this approach is clarifying the role of stakeholders and the community
with a clear definition of the engagement parameters.
Our engagement philosophy is guided by six key principles which are widely used and accepted.
These principles provide the foundation for engagement practices outlined in this Strategy.
1. Communication: Develop a two-way dialogue between the project team, stakeholders and
the community to increase awareness of the project and provide accurate information
2. Transparency: Provide clear, quality and timely information to stakeholders and the
community to ensure they are kept up-to-date throughout the project
3. Collaboration: Establish good relationships with the community and stakeholders to
effectively share information to achieve good outcomes.
4. Inclusiveness: Provide information and opportunities for engagement that encourages
people from diverse cultures, social background and ages to participate.
5. Integrity: Conduct engagement in a manner that fosters mutual respect and trust and
builds and maintains stakeholder and community relationships.
Inform Consult Involve
Consultation does not aim to achieve consensus among all participants. It is however, an ideal
mechanism for understanding community issues and local knowledge regarding the site and the
surrounding communities. An important part of the process will be to articulate how community
feedback will be used to inform the planning process. LDA and Riverview are keen to understand
the views of the community and stakeholders and where possible accommodate community
aspirations regarding the future of West Belconnen.
We will provide the community and
stakeholders with information to create a shared understanding of the project background, planning process and communication
objectives.
The community and stakeholders will be
consulted at various stages of the project, to gain meaningful feedback and ideas that will inform the vision and master planning process.
We will work directly with the community
and stakeholders to ensure their concerns, ideas and comments are understood and considered.
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 11
6. Reflection: Review engagement activities and outcomes to gain an understanding of the
effectiveness of the engagement approach and methodology to ensure the needs of
stakeholders and the community are met.
3.4 Consultation objectives
LDA and Riverview have adopted a best practice engagement philosophy that is also in line with
Green Star requirements.
The objective of this Strategy is to assist LDA and Riverview in working with stakeholders and the
community throughout the planning for the West Belconnen project.
The key engagement objectives include:
» Provide quality information that is accurate and relevant to stakeholders and the community at
each stage of the project
» Provide opportunities for stakeholders and the community to comment on the proposed master
plans
» Establish relationships with key stakeholders that can benefit the project now and in the future
» Capture comments and feedback to inform the planning and design process
» Capture insights into local and regional issues
» Review engagement activities and processes to ensure they are in line with objectives
» Undertake community and stakeholder engagement which is guided by elements of the IAP2
spectrum (Inform, Consult, Involve) with a view to achieve Green Star accreditation.
12 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Since 2007, Riverview has been consulting with a select group of stakeholders, government
agencies and key groups in the community about the proposal for a cross-border residential
development at West Belconnen. Consultation over this period covered a wide range of areas,
including conservation and environmental management, community services, recreation, transport,
renewable energy and housing affordability.
The key themes to emerge through this consultation included:
» The desire for a range of housing options, including affordable housing
» Sustainable energy use at the household level and across the community
» Good public transport options and decreased reliance on cars
» Increased options for recreation for all people in West Belconnen
» A new development that is a natural extension of, and does not detract from, the existing
suburbs of West Belconnen.
Since the ACT Government’s announced the commencement of the project in June 2013 the scale
of the engagement has been expanded to ensure all those with an interest in the project have the
opportunity to learn more and provide feedback.
4.1 Stakeholder analysis
Given the complexity and scale of the West Belconnen project there is a broad range of
stakeholders that will have an interest in the project. Their level of interest and involvement in the
process is likely to vary as the project progresses through planning and development. The
engagement process has been designed to accommodate changes in the way that stakeholders
wish to participate or be kept informed over time. This is tracked via an online database
Consultation Manager.
This Strategy is underpinned by a detailed stakeholder analysis. The stakeholder analysis draws
upon a constantly evolving database that details all known stakeholders’ interests in the project
and their involvement in various activities. The stakeholder analysis and database helps to ensure
that the project team is kept informed of community and stakeholder issues and ideas related to
the project. It also helps to ensure that engagement and communication activities are tailored to
maximise community and stakeholder input and involvement at relevant project stages.
The table below highlights the key stakeholder groups identified for the master planning stage of
the project. Invitations to various events and advertising of events will be broader than this
stakeholder list to ensure everyone with an interest in the project are kept informed and has an
opportunity to be involved.
Stakeholder Group Subgroups Level of interest in
the project
Government (elected
representative)
Local members:
» Federal Members for the ACT (Canberra
and Fraser) and NSW (Hume)
» Federal Senators for the ACT
» ACT – MLAs for Ginninderra
High
4 Who are we engaging?
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 13
Stakeholder Group Subgroups Level of interest in
the project
» NSW - Member for Burrunjuck
» Yass Valley Shire Councillors
» ACT Government Ministers and Members of
the Opposition
» Relevant NSW Government Ministers and
members of the opposition
» Relevant Australian Government Minister
and members of the opposition
High
Government
departments/agencies
ACT Government:
» Chief Minister and Treasury
» Community Services
» Economic Development
» Education and Training
» Environment and Sustainable Development
» Health
» Justice and Community Safety
» Territory and Municipal Services
» Treasury
NSW Government:
» Department of Premier and Cabinet
» Department of Planning and Infrastructure
» South East Local Land Services
» Office of the Environment and Heritage
» Department of Education and Communities
» Fire and Rescue NSW
» Rural Fire Service
» Roads and Maritime Service
Federal Government:
» National Capital Authority
» Department of the Environment
» Yass Valley Shire Council
Medium to
High
Community Groups
and Organisations
Residents groups:
» Belconnen Community Council
Conservation groups:
» Ginninderra Catchment Group
» Ginninderra Falls Association
» Conservations Council
» Greening Australia
High
14 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Stakeholder Group Subgroups Level of interest in
the project
Welfare/peak organisations:
» ACT Shelter
» ACTCOSS
» ACT Youth Coalition
Religious groups:
» Kippax Uniting Care
Indigenous organisations:
» United Ngunnanwal Elders
» Onerall Aboriginal Land Council
Universities and schools:
» University of Canberra
» Canberra Institute of Technology
» Kingsford Smith School
Local sporting groups and clubs:
» Magpies golf club
Local arts associations:
» Straithnairn
Services providers » Belconnen Community Services
» West Belconnen Child and Family Centre
Medium
Local residents » Immediate neighbours
» Surrounding suburbs and neighbourhoods
High
Local businesses » Kippax and surrounding local centres
» Relevant Canberra based businesses
Medium to
High
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 15
5.1 Tools and techniques
Throughout the project, different levels of engagement will apply. Using the relevant elements of
the IAP2 spectrum, a range of tools and techniques has been identified to respond to the
engagement requirements of specific phases of the project. These tools and techniques have been
chosen with a view to provide:
» Clear, timely information about complex planning concepts and stages in the planning process
» An opportunity for the community and stakeholders to attend consultation events and provide
feedback
» Clear evidence of how community and stakeholder feedback has been incorporated into the
decision making process.
Below is a description of the tools and techniques to be used for this project, and a detailed Action
Plan at Section 6 outlines the timing.
West Belconnen project website
A project website, www.talkwestbelconnen.com.au, will be established to provide a central source
of information about the project, including the planning process and development of the master
plan, the site, the team, FAQs and sustainability initiatives. Resources such as videos, newsletters
and consultation outcomes reports are also available and users can email questions and register
their interest to receive project updates.
People and Place Group
A People and Place Group comprises a range of key stakeholders and meets regularly to provide an
effective way to test and refine ideas and incorporate feedback during the master planning phase.
The purpose of this group is solely for the engagement process. The group will be broadly
representative of stakeholder interests. Membership will encompass a cross-section of
representatives and includes up to 14 people.
Community Newsletters
Newsletters are an effective mechanism to reach community members, particularly those who do
not usually participate in engagement. Newsletters provide a flexible format to share accurate and
relevant information with stakeholders and the community including introducing team members,
updates about the planning process, and promoting social media platforms and community drop in
events. Newsletters will be distributed to local residents and businesses and additional copies will
be available at local shopping centre, libraries, and Government shopfronts.
Planning and Design Forum
A Planning and Design Forum (PDF) is a series of interactive workshops, combining the skills and
experience of decision makers, technical experts and community representatives to jointly explore
project challenges and design options. The Forum is an effective way of bringing together a wide
range of views, promoting open and constructive discussion and development of shared ideas,
which are then reflected in the preliminary draft master plan. A number of sessions will actively
involve the general community and interested stakeholders.
5 How are we engaging?
16 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Community Information and Feedback Session
The community and stakeholders are invited to drop in sessions to view display material about the
project and provide verbal and/or written feedback. In particular, these sessions will be held to
gain feedback on the preliminary draft master plan and the Kippax Group Centre planning review.
Community Liaison
A community liaison officer (CLO) is the main point of contact between stakeholders and the
community and the project team. The officer establishes and maintains relationships with the
community and stakeholders to resolve any problems they may have during the planning process.
Consultation Manager
Consultation Manager is an online data base that will be used to record all interactions with
community members and stakeholders. It will contain contact details, events such as stakeholder
meetings and correspondence as well as any specific interests over the course of the project.
Social Media
See Social Media Strategy at Appendix A for information regarding social media and how each
platform will be used.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement Reporting
Consultation outcome reports provide a record of engagement activities and feedback received.
Summary engagement reports will be prepared after each engagement stage has been completed.
Feedback received will help to inform the vision for the project, the master planning process and
this Strategy.
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 17
The Action Plan has been designed to correspond with the master planning process. Each project stage includes a range of techniques, a description of what is involved
and timing.
Social media will be used as a communication and engagement channel throughout all phases of the project; for more information see the Social Media Strategy at
Appendix A.
Activity Stakeholders Timing Engagement Spectrum
Conceptual project development phase
» Meetings and presentations to a wide variety of stakeholders including
– ACT Government’s Land Development Agency commencing October 2007
– Yass Valley Shire Council commencing September 2009
– NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure commencing September 2010
– National Capital Authority commencing September 2010
– Key stakeholders and neighbours commencing July 2011
Stakeholders 2007 – June 2013 Consult
Stage 1: Master Planning
Community liaison interviews
» Interviews with key stakeholders (face-to-face where possible)
» Deeper understanding of opinions, aspirations and priorities, and the reasons behind views
» Feeds into development of a Community Plan and vision.
Stakeholders Ongoing from October 2013
Consult
People and Place Group meeting 1
» Introductions
» Confirm terms of reference
» Confirm work program
Stakeholders December 2013 Involve
6 Action Plan
18 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Activity Stakeholders Timing Engagement Spectrum
» Introduction to the project
» Overview of the preliminary draft master plan
Newsletter 1
Content overview:
» Site overview and positioning within regional context
» Planning process and reasons for approach
» Description of engagement process, including website and Facebook page
» Information on the Planning and Design Forum
Community November 2013 Inform
Website and Facebook launch
» Website will be informative and interactive
> Key focus on providing information with limited use of surveys
» Facebook will provide a short introduction to the project and promote opportunities for
engagement
> Focus on building awareness of the project
> Notify people of upcoming consultation activities
For more details see social media calendar at Appendix A.
Community and stakeholders
November 2013 Inform
Consult
Twitter launch
» Focus on generating awareness of the project and build a following with stakeholders,
professionals, government agencies and journalists
» Push information out, for example project updates
For more details see social media calendar.
Community and stakeholders
November 2013 Inform
Stakeholder engagement summary report 1
» Brief targeted report on process and outcomes of stage one engagement.
Community and stakeholders
December 2013 Inform
Planning and Design Forum interactive workshops
Develop preliminary design concepts for master plan, drawing on outcomes of community workshop,
Stakeholders
Community
November 2013 Involve
Consult
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 19
Activity Stakeholders Timing Engagement Spectrum
key stakeholder interviews and website feedback.
The three day PDF workshop will include:
» Site visit
» Presentation of site analysis report
» Presentation of stakeholder feedback: ‘hot buttons’, vision and values
» Discussion on policy and planning framework
» Facilitated working groups to develop preferred options.
Website updated
The website will be updated to reflect outcomes of the PDF as well as describing the next steps.
Stakeholders
Community
December 2013 Inform
Newsletter 2
Content overview:
» Outcomes of the PDF workshop, and Community and Stakeholder Vision workshop
» Preliminary draft master plan overview
» Introduction to project team members.
Community December 2013 Inform
People and Place Group meeting 2
» Discuss the outcomes of the PDF
» Discussion of the engagement process and ways to increase engagement with hard to reach
groups particularly young people
» Discussion of housing and demographics
Stakeholders February 2014 Consult
Community Information and Feedback Sessions – West Belconnen
» Community Information Sessions in Belconnen (at Kippax) timed to occur just prior to refinement
of the draft master plan
» ‘Drop-in’ community sessions to provide opportunity to ask questions and give feedback to
consultant team during pre-statutory planning process statutory exhibition process
» Presentation of draft master plan – using text and images
Community February 2014 Consult
20 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Activity Stakeholders Timing Engagement Spectrum
Newsletter 3
Content overview:
» Provide a clear description and images of preferred master plan
» Promotion of the community shop front and project office and social media
» Overview of Kippax Strategic Planning Review
» Promotion of upcoming events
Community February 2014 Inform
People and Place Group meeting 3
» Present and discuss stakeholder feedback and updated master plan
» Discuss community and public transport options
» Discuss the science behind the power line and development near tips
Stakeholders March 2014 Consult
Stakeholder engagement summary report 2
» Brief, targeted final report on engagement outcomes.
Community and stakeholders
May 2014 Inform
Newsletter 4
Content overview:
» Information on final master plan submitted for rezoning
» Information on outcomes of various studies
» Information on the statutory planning process
Community May-June 2014 Inform
Evaluation
» To assess the effectiveness of communication and engagement activities
Community and stakeholders
May 2014 Inform
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 21
6.1 Next Steps
The Action Plan described above has been designed to correspond closely with the master planning process,
through to submission of rezoning proposals and documentation. Following this, communications and
engagement activities will be undertaken to ensure community and stakeholder engagement during the
statutory planning period, through to construction, sales and community development. This will ensure
community and stakeholder involvement throughout the course of the project.
Should the outcome of the planning process be positive, amendments will be made to the National Capital Plan,
the Territory Plan and the Yass Valley Planning Scheme to enable the project to proceed. Each of these
amendments is a separate formal process and will require community consultation.
The activities outlined below are indicative of the likely activities that will be undertaken during the statuory
planning phase, and are to be refined at the commencement of that phase. This will ensure that
communications and engagement activities correspond to key milestones in the rezoning processes, and are
able to incorporate the results of the peer review and evaluation program outlined in Section 7 of this Strategy.
Next steps will likely include the following:
» Regular updates to website and social media content
» Continued meetings of the People and Place Group
» Regular community newsletters
» Community Information and Feedback Sessions in various locations
» Engagement outcomes report
» Peer review and evaluation of engagement activities
22 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
7.1 Evaluation overview
The West Belconnen project team is committed to delivering a quality engagement program that wraps around
the planning and delivery of the project. We want to create a shared vision for the area with stakeholders and
the community, establish positive relationships and create a connection between both the existing and new
communities.
Further to this is our desire to create a world class sustainable community. This means we are extremely
dedicated to ensuring this Strategy is effective and includes an evaluation program to measure the level of
success.
The purpose of the evaluation is to:
» Provide evidence of the outputs and outcomes of this Strategy for accountability and reporting purposes
» Ensure community engagement activities are as effective as possible
» Refine this Strategy where outcomes are not being achieved
» Share and reflect experiences and learnings to encourage improved community engagement into the future.
7.1.1 Evaluation audience
The evaluation audience comprises two parties, the West Belconnen project team including LDA and Riverview,
as well as stakeholders and the community. Each party has a different interest in the outcomes of this Strategy
and is likely to have varying perspectives.
Audience Interest
LDA and Riverview Projects Achievement of communication and engagement objectives
Development of a shared vision among the community and stakeholders
Identifying what has worked well and how can this be expanded
Identifying what has not worked well and how can this be rectified
Stakeholders and the community Acceptance and support for the vision for West Belconnen
Provided various opportunities to provide feedback and contribute to the development of the master plan
Seeing how feedback has informed decisions
7 Evaluation and Review
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 23
7.1.2 Evaluation Program
The evaluation program outlines the critical success factors and outcomes of the engagement activities. It also highlights external factors that many contribute to
successes or challenges of consultation.
Activities Critical Success Factors Outcomes
Community liaison interviews
Information received is useful for the visioning process
Relationships are established and maintained
Process is comfortable and practical
Objectives for consultation are clearly articulated
Information which is useful to the project team is gathered
Potential stakeholders identified for the People and Place Group
Increased awareness of the project
People and Place Group Information received is useful for the visioning and consultation process
Useful ideas are articulated and shared among members
Relationships are established and maintained
Process is comfortable and practical
Objectives for consultation are clearly articulated
Positive relationships are established
Information which is useful to the project team is gathered
Ideas are tested, refined and incorporated into the planning proposal
Newsletters Reaches target audience
Provided in a timely manner
Provides quality, relevant and easy to understand information
Increased awareness of the project
Increased participation in consultation activities and attendance at events
Website Provides quality and relevant information
Reaches target audience
Increased awareness of the project
Increased participation in consultation activities and attendance at events
Number of hits to the website increase
Type of enquiries vary over time as awareness increases
Facebook Provides quality and relevant information
Reaches target audience
Greater number of people become aware of the project including young people and young families
24 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Activities Critical Success Factors Outcomes
Provides suitable opportunities for community members to engage in two-way communication, providing answers to questions
Establishes an online community
Builds positive relationships
Increased participation in consultation activities and attendance at events
Increase fan base (increase number of people that like the page)
Information received from users is relevant and useful to the project
Online community is established
Positive relationships with online community
Twitter Provides quality and relevant information
Reaches target audience
Establishes an online community
Increased awareness of the project
A following (number of people that follow the account) is established and increases over time
Tweets are retweeted
An effective and accurate information source
YouTube Provides quality and relevant information visually
Reaches target audience
An effective information source
Increased awareness of the project
Number of video views increases
External factors
External factors affecting outputs
Existing interest and attitudes to development
History and culture of engagement with planning
Current commitments of People and Place Group members
Existing relationships with stakeholders
External factors affecting outcomes
Other information/media coverage during the consultation
Other competing activities/commitments of stakeholders and the community at the time of consultation activities
7.1.3 Evaluation working group
An evaluation working group will be chosen to evaluate the implementation of this Engagement Strategy.
7.1.4 Key evaluation questions
Our key evaluation questions take a holistic approach focusing on the relevant level of the IAP2 engagement
spectrum as well as the planning and implementation of this Strategy.
Indicators of success
The following table describes the indicators for success in response to each evaluation question.
Spectrum level
Evaluation questions Indicators
Inform Did the information provided articulate the key messages of the project?
Stakeholders and community’s understanding and awareness of the project
Did the information provided meet the objectives of this Strategy?
The number of newsletters distributed
Stakeholders and community members’ satisfaction with the information they received, demonstrated by comments on feedback back forms and comments on social media
Information was provided in accordance with project milestones
Did the information reach its target audience?
See map of newsletter letterbox drop
What were the most successful aspects of the information provided and how can these be expanded on in future activities? What were the problems and how can these be rectified in future activities?
Feedback forms and comments on social media
Consult Did the consultation activities meet the objectives of this Strategy?
The number of people that participated in consultation activities
The usefulness of feedback received
The temperature of feedback received
Did the consultation provide information that was useful to the project team?
The usefulness of feedback received
Did the consultation help identify community ‘champions’?
The number of stakeholders or community members who were interested in becoming more involved
Spectrum level
Evaluation questions Indicators
What were the most successful aspects of the consultation process and how can these be expanded on in future activities? What were the problems and how can these be rectified in future activities?
Experience and opinions of participants, as demonstrated via feedback forms and comments on social media
Involve Did the involvement process meet the objectives of this Strategy?
The number of people that participated in the involvement process
The quality of feedback received
Did the involvement process provide information that was useful to the project team in creating a shared vision for the area?
Agreement between the project team, stakeholders and community on the shared vision for the area
A sense of ownership of the shared vision
What were the outcomes of the involvement process in terms of building relationships between the project team, stakeholders and the community?
Positive attitudes towards the development
Interest in participating in further involvement activities
In what ways did the involvement process contribute to or provide barriers for achieving positive outcomes?
Experience and opinions of participants
Were there any unintended outcomes of the process?
Unintended positive or negative outcomes of this Strategy
Were there any factors that appeared to affect the involvement process? Did any of these act as barriers and how might these be
overcome?
Experience and opinions of project team and participants
Social media evaluation indicators
Evaluation questions Indicators
Was information accurate, relevant and timely?
Posts, tweets or uploads to the website are in line with other
communication and engagement activities and use complimentary messaging
Do the social media platforms work well together?
The way the each platform was accessed
The number of people that follow multiple platforms
How successful was each social media platform?
The number of clicks per platform
The amount of time spent per webpage or platform
The number of retweets, shares or likes per post
The number of people that choose to follow each platform
Did the Social Media Strategy Stakeholder and community understanding and awareness of the
Evaluation questions Indicators
achieve the objectives? project
The number of people participating in online engagement activities
What are some of the more
successful approaches on each
platform?
Should we continue using social
media?
What can we do to improve and
continue the momentum?
Data analysis
7.2 Evaluation timeline
Evaluation phases
Phase Timing
Evaluation of Stage 1: Master planning May 2014
Evaluation of Stage 2: Rezoning TBC
Final Evaluation summary TBC
Appendices
A Social media strategy
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy
June 2013 to April 2014
Client: Riverview Projects (ACT) and the Land Development Agency
Contact: Roz Chivers [email protected] [Elton Contact Phone]
Canberra
02 6169 4112
Suite 10
11 Mackay Gardens
George Turner House
Canberra ACT 2600
www.elton.com.au [email protected] Sydney | Canberra | Darwin ABN 56 003 853 101
Prepared by Emily Pow and Krista Murphy
Reviewed by Roz Chivers
Date 30 April 2014
Document name West Belconnen Social Media Strategy
Version V2
32 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Social media is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. Originally a space dominated by personal
relationships and interactions, social media now provides a channel for receiving both local and global
information such as news, entertainment, interest topics, campaigns and community initiatives.
As a result, the community has an expectation that accurate, relevant information will be available online
and via social media channels. Furthermore, there is a growing expectation that engagement with
communities will occur through these channels.
When incorporated into a broader communications and engagement strategy and connected to other
consultation processes, social media can help to include groups and individuals who might not normally
participate in more traditional consultation methods and inform decision-making processes, policies and
strategies.
The West Belconnen Social Media Strategy focuses on informing, engaging and fostering community
development through a range of social media platforms over the course of the planning and delivery of the
project.
1 Why social media
So what is the secret to engaging on social media? – it’s about interaction!
Social networking is about making a connection with stakeholders and the community. It is about
encouraging them to interact, post opinions and engage. Social media is about creating a two way
dialogue.
Social media can also be used to:
Create interest particularly with those that may not traditionally participate in the planning process
such as youth and young families
Continue momentum and interest
Give a voice to the silent majority who may not speak up at community information sessions or
have time to attend.
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 33
Face to face conversations continue to be the foundation of effective and targeted engagement. Therefore,
our approach to social media is about complementing and supporting traditional forms of engagement.
To ensure we achieve this, the West Belconnen Social Media Strategy sits within the wider West Belconnen
Communications and Engagement Strategy.
Consistent with the communications and face to face engagement approaches for the West Belconnen
project, our approach to social media wraps around project phases and milestones.
The messaging will be centred on providing accurate and relevant information that encourages engagement
to help create a sense of community and ownership of the vision for West Belconnen.
The focus of key messages will evolve throughout the project as it progresses through the planning and
delivery stages. The social media key messages will reflect those of the overarching strategy and be
appropriated for each platform and audience.
2.1 Objectives
Developing a clear set of objectives is central to achieving effective and targeted engagement.
They key social media objectives are to:
» Support the relevant objectives of the overarching Communications and Engagement Strategy
» Increase awareness and extend the reach of existing messages about the project by building
relationships with relevant audiences including stakeholders, key influencers such as journalists and
bloggers and the community
» Provide accurate, timely and relevant information
» Encourage community participation in the planning process
» Respond to questions and inquiries in a timely manner
» Foster relationships with stakeholders and the community
» Be proactive about managing and responding to issues particularly those that may attract attention
» Monitor mentions of the West Belconnen project on social media, engaging with our critics and key
influencers to resolves issues/concerns and correct factual inaccuracies and to promote and thank
positive comments
» Effectively manage risks associated with engagement and social media.
2 Approach
34 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
To help achieve the social media objectives, we have used the Five P’s framework to guide implementation
of the Social Media Strategy.
3.1 People
Who do we want to target and how will we resource it?
Audience
Social media platforms have different purposes and different audiences; therefore the type of platform used
will depend on the target audience.
This Social Media Strategy targets stakeholders and community members in north-west Canberra and
surrounding areas who already use social media.
Resources
Social media is a fast moving, two-way tool that requires careful planning. Sufficient resources are required
not only to push messages out, but to respond to messages coming in.
A dedicated consultant responsible for generating and monitoring content will be required and support for
social media will be provided by the engagement team.
Content and responses for the West Belconnen social media accounts will be generally posted during
business hours, Monday to Friday. However, monitoring will be a 24/7 responsibility to ensure enquiries and
questions are responded to in a timely manner. This is an important part of social media etiquette but also
crucial to managing risks.
3 The Five P’s
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 35
3.2 Platforms
Table 1 Social media channel description and purpose
Platform Description of social media or online channel Purpose
Talk West Belconnen website
The West Belconnen website www.talkwestbelconnen.com.au
will be the main source of information for stakeholders and the
community about the project and will help to answer and clarify
questions they may have. Providing up-to-date and accurate
information about the project, the website will act as an
information hub that connects people to other sources of
information and social media channels.
The project website would provide detailed information about the project, including :
○ the vision, project team and location
○ information about the planning process, including rezoning and development of the Master Plan
○ sustainability initiatives
○ frequently asked questions
○ project updates – latest news
○ online library and resources
○ links to online engagement via social media platforms
○ register your interest function, to ensure subscribers receive regular project updates.
West Belconnen Facebook page
Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms in the world, and is becoming increasingly popular with community groups. Facebook is an instant interactive forum of engagement providing information, updates and notifications about the project and face to face events
Facebook is great for connecting with a wide range of
stakeholders and community members and will be a useful tool
when engaging with people about what they would like to see in
the development.
Facebook will be used to increase project awareness, push information to
‘friends’ of the page and also as an engagement tool that encourages
people to interact with the West Belconnen page by liking, sharing or
posting comments.
Users are updated with notifications when someone in their network
updates their profile or status. For example when someone ‘likes’ the
West Belconnen page, their friends would be notified exposing the page
to a wider audience.
An advertising campaign will be run to create further awareness
Engagement techniques include:
Providing short project updates in the form of posts
Linking to interesting and relevant articles
Posting images of the site
36 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Platform Description of social media or online channel Purpose
Promoting events such as a community information session
Providing a snapshot or overview of specific components of the project such as Green Star, urban design and the community development plan
Creating a poll or short survey
Users can post on the page:
○ Questions to the project team
Comments or images of their vision for West Belconnen
Users can see:
○ Responses to previous questions
○ Comments and images of the community’s vision
○ Articles and questions posted by the project team
Links to other platforms such as YouTube and Instagram
West Belconnen
Instagram is a photography app which allows users to be creative with images and share them instantaneously. Instagram lets users upload photos or short videos, apply various filters, write a description, #hashtag and share it with followers.
Users can comment on the photo and are encouraged to use #hashtags which create discussion topics that can be searched by other users. For example “My vision for #WestBelconnen is…” users can then search #WestBelconnen and find all the images posted under that topic.
Instagram would be used to post images of the site, community drop in sessions and share concepts.
Instagram will be used to encourage:
○ Community members and stakeholder to take photos of what they
love about the area or upload images of what they would like to see in the development.
○ Project team to document work being undertaken or post images of the site.
YouTube allows users to upload videos and share them.
Short videos, interviews and presentations would be uploaded to
YouTube and promoted on West Belconnen’s social media
network such as Facebook and Twitter. For example, an
interview with the urban designer talking about what has
inspired their design or vision for the project.
Vox Pox could also be captured at community events and
included in a video about the day.
YouTube allows you to create short online videos which can be used to explain, sometimes quite dry information, in a more engaging way.
Ways YouTube could be used to engage
○ Prepare a project snapshot that introduces the vision for West Belconnen
○ Create interviews with the project team, putting a ‘face’ to a particular component such as urban design or environmental management
○ Record consultation events.
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 37
Platform Description of social media or online channel Purpose
West Belconnen Twitter
Twitter is a microblogging platform which allows users to post or
‘tweet’ short messages (up to 140 characters in length) and
converse with other users via their phones or web browsers.
Twitter is all about pushing information in the moment to the
public sphere.
The platform is being used increasingly by government
departments, members of parliament, advocates and experts as
well as millions of businesses, non-government organisations
and individuals.
Twitter would primarily be used to push information out to
followers using a combination of original content and where
appropriate retweeting. Retweeting means to re-post another
users tweet, effectively publically showing support for that user
or tweet.
The West Belconnen Twitter account would be used to push information out to increase awareness of the project.
Ways we would engage:
○ Tweet regular and up-to-date information about the project
○ Tweet about events, such as CIFS to increase participation
○ Tweet questions to encourage engagement and gather feedback
○ Tweet responses to questions
○ Promote initiatives on other social media channels, such as the Facebook poll
○ Retweet relevant and positive tweets posted by other users regarding the project or that discuss related topics such as the housing demand in Canberra or sustainable practice.
QR Codes are barcodes that open up a webpage when you take
a photo of the QR Code using an app such as ‘QR Reader’.
QR Codes will be used in newsletters or on story boards to direct people
to the website or specific web pages such as a YouTube clip.
38 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
3.3 Positioning
Profile, tone of voice, interaction and engagement
The images that represent the West Belconnen project are:
Facebook image: Twitter image:
While social media platforms are intended for different purposes, it is important to maintain a
consistent tone of voice across social media platforms.
The West Belconnen project aims to be a ‘friendly human’ voice, using plain English and short clear
points.
3.4 Promotion
Increasing awareness of West Belconnen’s social media presence will be vital for attracting
followers and achieving the Strategy’s objectives.
» Inviting people to like the West Belconnen page
» Promoting the Facebook page via the website, email signature and newsletters
» Marketing on Facebook to increase people’s awareness of the page
> Facebook allows users to create ads and target people based on age, gender and location.
Ads including promoting the page or posts to get more ‘likes’ and increase awareness.
Facebook also allows you to maintain strict control over your budget by setting a limit and
then charging per impression (impression is how many people who view your ad).
» Run and advertise a competition to increase ‘likes’ and awareness of the Facebook page.
» Following figures with a similar interest e.g. community organisations
» Promote Instagram account via the website, other social media platforms, newsletters and
workshops
» Follow power Tweeters, well known and influential figures
» Follow figures with a similar interest e.g. government departments, community organisations
» Interact with followers in a planned and coordinated way
» Promote Twitter account via the website, email signature and newsletters
» Using a project #hashtag e.g. #WestBelconnen
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 39
» Encourage followers to retweet e.g. Councillor repeats tweet to their followers and therefore
increasing exposure
3.5 Protocols
Social media accounts would be managed by the Communications and Engagement Team who
would be responsible for producing content, monitoring interactions and responding to comments.
A dedicated Social Media Manager (SMM) will manage the day to day interactions of the social
media platforms.
A social media calendar will be developed at the beginning of each month, outlining content for all
weekdays.
See the social media protocols diagram at Attachment A.
40 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Liking: user is interested in content (e.g. an article, post, photo)
Sharing/retweeting: user actively shares content (e.g. notification of an article to all friends)
Posting: user adds content to their page or another users page (e.g. West Belconnen puts up an
article about Green Star on its page)
Commenting: user comments on content (e.g. user writes a comment on the West Belconnen
Green Star post)
Fans are people that ‘like’ a page and receive notifications on content updates
Friends/followers are other users that you are connected with
Page is the user’s person space which can be customised. The user can choose a number of
privacy settings that control how other uses interact with the page. For example, West Belconnen
can choose to limit what users see or prevent other users from posting on its page.
#Hashtags are topics and used predominately on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. #Hashtags
allows users to identify a topic by using keywords for example #sustainability. This enables other
users to search and filter based on those key terms, collaborate and share relevant information,
and enables ‘trending’.
Trending is when a topic is being discussed by lots of people at the same time. For example
during the recent Federal election, #auspol was used frequently used by the media, commentators
and the public which meant it was trending.
4.1 The Golden Rules
1. Respond in a timely and appropriate manner
2. Never leave a question unanswered
3. Always publish accurate and relevant information
4. Be active and involved in creating and participating in conversations
5. Practice active listening
4 Learning the lingo
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 41
Like with any type of engagement there will always be risks. Examples of how we will manage risks
are listed below.
Risks Mitigation
Criticism for an inability to meet the demands of social media users such as joining conversations/responding to inquiries/questions, due to resource and clearance issues
Reduce risk by managing expectations with a clear and published social media policy
Using holding replies where an answer will need research
Respond to ‘theme’ not individuals if swamped with inquiries
Inappropriate or confidential content being published
Require clearance of all social media posts through relevant people on the project team
Technical security of social media
accounts and potential for hacking or vandalism of content
Change social media account passwords frequently and use strong passwords
Trolling of social media sites It is generally best to ignore trolls, however if content posted by trolls become inappropriate, remove post, inform them they will be blocked from the site if action is repeated. If behaviour persists, block user.
5 Understanding the risks
42 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
It is important that we evaluate the approach to social media to ensure the target audience is
reached.
The West Belconnen project team will gather evaluation data using a range of methods including
Google analytics and social media monitoring tools such as Hoot Suite.
Data or ‘metrics’ will provide us with a range of information, including:
» Visitors of each platform
» Duration of visits
» Online discussion
» How are people engaging with the platforms
This information will help provide us with a better understanding of what is working well and what
areas need more attention.
6 Reflecting on our strategy
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 43
West Belconnen’s Social Media Policy
Social media allows users to post and exchange information and converse publicly with other users
online. Social media platforms allow users to share links to online information, publish photographs
and share other media such as videos.
With the exception of direct and private messages, all posts and comments are public and visible
to all for review, comment and sharing.
West Belconnen’s social media accounts
LDA and Riverview will use a suite of social media platforms that work together to inform, engage and foster community development with stakeholders and the community. Social media will be used to share information, alerts, news and event updates with friends, fans and followers as well as act as a channel for enquiries about the West Belconnen project.
The following accounts are:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestBelconnen
Instagram:@westbelconnen
Twitter: @westbelconnen
YouTube: westbelconnen
Hashtags:#westbelconnen #planwestbelconnen #KippaxCentre
Social media content
The West Belconnen social media accounts will be managed by LDA and Riverview’s
Communication and Engagement Team. Day to day management of social media will be
undertaken by the Social Media Manager, this includes generating and proactively posting news
and information about the project and inviting community members to events. Content posted
regarding project updates and information will be sourced from approved communications
materials and project team members.
The level of content posting will vary throughout the project, particularly picking up during
intensive consultation periods. However, it is expected that accounts would be updated two - five
times a week.
Availability
West Belconnen’s updates and monitoring will predominately occur during business hours, Monday
to Friday, however, accounts will be monitored 24/7. In the event a social media platform is
unavailable due to downtime, we do not take responsibility of this.
Following
The West Belconnen project does not automatically follow organisations or individuals who follow it.
The West Belconnen project may follow relevant organisations including government agencies,
community organisations and other parties where there is a relevant link.
7 Social Media Policy
TIP: To avoid confusion and maintain consistency, we suggest using the same protocols across all accounts.
44 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
The West Belconnen project will generally not follow individuals unless they are known in a professional capacity and satisfy the business rule above.
Being followed by the West Belconnen project does not imply endorsement of any kind.
Unfollowing
As part of account maintenance and monitoring, the West Belconnen project regularly reviews accounts it is following. This may result in unfollowing accounts.
Privacy
Any information provided via a social media platform will be solely used for the purposes of the
project. Any posts to our social media platforms by third parties are the responsibility of that party.
This includes the publication of personal information. Personal information is information relating to
an individual that can be used to identify or to reasonably ascertain a person’s identity.
Any information identified or deemed confidential or private is treated in accordance with the
Guidelines for Federal and ACT Government Websites.
The LDA adheres to the Federal Privacy Commissioner’s Guidelines for Federal and ACT Government Websites.
Posts, comments and private messages
The West Belconnen project welcomes feedback and ideas from its followers.
The West Belconnen project team reads all posts, comments and private messages and ensures that any emerging themes or helpful suggestions are forwarded to the relevant people in the project team.
Where the West Belconnen project is not able to reply individually to messages received via any social media platform and where common topics and requests exist, the West Belconnen project team may issue a general notification to all parties.
The West Belconnen project team can also be contact via more traditional forms including email,
telephone and post.
Hashtags (#)
#Hashtags are topics and used predominately on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. #Hashtags
allows users to identify a topic by using keywords for example #sustainability. This enables other
users to search and filter based on those key terms, collaborate and share relevant information,
and enables ‘trending’.
West Belconnen will use hashtags in comments to increase reach and exposure.
Link shortening
Unless URLs are very short, URLs will be shortened using link compressing sites when tweeting or
posting on platforms.
Sharing/retweeting
West Belconnen may occasionally be asked to share or retweet content from other social media
users. We will consider these requests on a case by case basis but generally aim to honour such
requests from:
» Government departments
» Stakeholders
» Non- government organisations (NGOs)
West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting 45
» Specialists in relevant fields.
West Belconnen actively seeks opportunities to share/retweet content that contributes to the
dissemination and exchange of useful information about the project and related topics.
46 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting
Appendices
A Social media protocols
Protocol DiagramType of comment
Positive
I love this project.
Question
When will the next consultation event be?
Suggestion
I think it would be a good idea to hold an event on a Tuesday.
Complaint
This project is only going to generate more traffic.
Misguided
The project is going to destroy endangered flora communities.
Rager
The project team has no idea what it is like to live in Belconnen.
Spam
Buy hair extensions online.
Troll
The use of swear words, inappropriate content or constant harrasment.
This consultation is a fucking waste of time.
Process & responsibilities
SMM to manage SMM to gauge temperature and to consult West Belconnen question and answer document or contact relevant project team member for resolution.
SMM to alert project team and monitor for future comments.
SMM to report, warn, archive and remove.
Respond to comment
» No action taken – Ignore comment
» Acknowledge – Like comment – Respond.
» Share comment – Retweet or share with followers
and fans
Thanks Mary! We hope to see you at the next community information session.
» Respond to question/issue via the platform or ask for contact details to respond directly.
» Respond with correct facts.
» Listen and monitor, the resolve if problem escalates
» Remove post
Emergency Public response: Stakeholder or community member told they will receive a direct message regarding their inquiry.
Private response: A West Belconnen project team member to respond via direct message through a designate company Facebook profile.
Social media accounts would be managed by the Engagement Team who would be responsible for producing content and monitoring interactions.
Interactions including uploading content and monitoring of comments and posts would be the responsibility of the West Belconnen Communications and Engagement Team.
A dedicated Social Media Manager (SMM) – Emily Pow – will manage the day to day interactions of the social media platforms.
ELTON CONSULTING
West BelconnenSOCIAL MEDIA PROTOCOLS
by The Riverview Group
Response Thermometer
Level Who to consult Example
Level 1 Consult FAQs FAQ’s can respond to comment
Level 2 Consult Engagement Leader/Expert in consortium New information, fact correction
Level 3 Consult Project Manager/Flag with Management Team New Information (sensative/political), fact correction not addressed
Level 4 Consult Management Team High risk to the project reputation, for example high profile people speak out or disagree with the project
48 West Belconnen Community Engagement Strategy Elton Consulting